Fatal dangers of alternative 'cancer cures' on the web

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

 

Taken from The Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8122-

1200924,00.html There's more tomorrow aswell.

 

By Sam Lister, Health Correspondent

 

Britain's only professor of complementary medicine is urging

government intervention on websites offering treatments that have no

scientific evidence to back them up.

 

THOUSANDS of cancer patients are risking their health by following

the advice of alternative therapy websites promoting bogus cures, a

leading expert in complementary medicine said yesterday.

Edzard Ernst, the country's only professor of complementary medicine,

based at the University of Exeter, called for government guidance to

steer people away from treatments promoted on the internet " not

supported by a shred of scientific evidence " .

 

He said that in some cases patients were hastening their deaths by

rejecting conventional treatment.

 

In a study of 32 of the most popular alternative and complementary

therapy websites, which attract tens of thousands of visitors every

day, researchers found dozens of remedies promoted as curing or

preventing cancer, including shark cartilage, coffee enemas, misletoe

and apricot extracts.

 

None of the treatments and approaches promoted online had been shown

definitively to cure or prevent the disease, Professor Ernst said.

 

The Professor and Katja Schmidt, co-author of the paper, found that

in 3 per cent of cases the websites actively discouraged patients

from using conventional cancer treatments, and 16 per cent did the

same indirectly through the information they provided.

 

One British-based website, worldwidehealthcenter.net, was judged to

be offering advice where definite harm was conceivable, while two

American sites were also categorised as potentially harmful. A

further six of the sites were deemed to be of some conceivable harm

to cancer patients.

 

" This was to us quite an eye-opener and pretty scary stuff, " said

Professor Ernst. " We found that between these 30-odd sites, 118

different cancer `cures' were recommended, complementary treatment

which claimed to be able to cure cancer. None of these 118 can be

demonstrated to cure cancer.

 

" Not everything that is natural is risk-free. People should use their

common sense and think twice about the motives of these websites. If

it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You cannot believe

ridiculous promises and claims. "

 

He said a further 59 preventative treatments were recommended, but

again there was no evidence that any of them worked. Two prime

examples were shark cartilage and laetrile, which is made from

apricot stones. The demand for ground-up shark fins had brought two

species of shark close to extinction, said Professor Ernst, and there

was no evidence that it was a cure.

 

An estimated 40,000 complementary therapists, both registered and

unregistered, are thought to be practising in Britain, with about a

quarter of the British population believed to use a complementary

treatment in any given year. In the US the figure is 60 per cent and

in Germany as high as 75 per cent.

 

A recent survey showed that one in five patients took herbal remedies

without the knowledge or consent of their GPs.

 

More worryingly, 10 per cent of patients were found to be taking both

warfarin, a prescription medication taken to thin the blood, and a

herbal therapy known to react dangerously with the drug.

 

Professor Ernst said that many doctors were woefully ignorant about

the potential risk of complementary treatments, especially their

interaction with conventional medicines. Pharmacists also needed

better training.

 

The professor, who has run the Complementary Medicine Peninsula

Medical School for ten years, said that in that period there had been

a handful of complementary therapies which had been shown to be

beneficial.

 

Examples included ginkgo biloba, which delays the progression of

senile dementia; hawthorne, which can help patients with congestive

heart failure; garlic, which lowers cholesterol levels; feverfew,

which helps to prevent migraines; and peppermint, which reduces

symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

 

Last night, George Georgiou, a herbal therapist from St Albans who

set up worldwidehealthcenter.net with his brother Andrew 18 months

ago, rejected Professor Ernst's claims.

 

He said that the website, which had more than 40,000 visits a month,

had never received any serious complaints from users.

 

" We know that these therapies are effective — in some cases they have

been used for thousands of years. The problem is there is simply not

the money to do the scientific research to prove they are effective. "

 

Mr Georgiou, who has two doctorates in natural medicine, denied that

any of his products were being promoted as a " cure " for cancer.

 

WEBSITES THAT MAY SPELL DANGER

 

Of the 32 most popular websites offering complementary and

alternative therapies for cancer, nine were identified as a risk to

patients.

 

Definite harm conceivable www.worldwidehealthcenter.net — a site run

by the Georgiou brothers from St Albans, Hertfordshire, which boasts

more than 40,000 visitors a month.

 

Potentially harmful www.healthy.net — US-based website run by

HealthWorld Online and self-styled " virtual health village "

www.heall.com — Health Education Alliance for Life and Longevity

(HEALL), based in Eureka, California, promoting a range of " wellness "

products.

 

Some harm conceivable www.ompress.com — Oregon Medical Press

website, run by John Boik, a graduate in acupuncture, Oriental

medicine and civil engineering www.chisuk.org.uk — Cheshire-based

Complementary Healthcare Information Service www.thorne.com —

website of Thorne Research, promoting " unadulterated products " from

its base in Dover, Idaho www.ivillagehealth.com — offers alternative

health advice, peer-reviewed by an advisory board of leaders in the

field of integrative medicine

www.store./aimforherbs/breascanaw — promotes herbal and

juice supplements and includes " nutritional tips for surviving

cancer " www.alkalizeforhealth.net — promotes the " Saliva Ph Test " to

test susceptibility to cancer and heart disease.

 

CANCER CONS?

 

Treatments most commonly offered as " cancer cures " on the 33 most

popular websites for complementary and alternative therapies

 

Shark Cartilage (11 websites) extract comprising ground cartilage

taken from shark fins, used as angiogenesis inhibitor to stem blood

flow to tumours.

 

Co Q10 (10) antioxidant compound made naturally in the body and used

by cells for growth and maintenance. Taken as a pill

Laetrile (10) substance containing the toxin amygdalin, which

commonly occurs in the kernels of almonds, apricots, cherries,

peaches and apples.

 

Gerson therapy (9) controversial diet involving coffee enemas,

copious quantities of fruit juice and vitamin injections

Mistletoe (9) popular extract that is claimed to shrink tumours and

stimulate the immune system. Recent research suggests it may do more

harm than good.

 

Acupuncture (8) needles inserted into the skin at specific places to

restore healthy energy flow. Some research suggests that it reduces

nausea caused by chemotherapy but no evidence exists that it is

effective.

 

Antineoplaston therapy (8) based on a group of synthetic chemicals

called antineoplastons, made up mostly of peptides and amino acids

originally taken from human blood and urine.

 

Bovine cartilage (8) research suggests that, like shark fins, can act

as angiogenesis inhibitor.

 

Vitamin C (8) based on the work of Linus Pauling, which suggested

that patients taking large quantities of the vitamin had improved

chances of survival.

 

Hoxsey therapy (7) preparation made from a North American herbs.

introduced by American therapist, Harry Hoxsey.

 

Should medicine be left to health professionals?

Send your e-mails to debate

 

 

Comments anyone? Attilio

[Guest guest]

Hello Attilio: With this post it is easy to see there are many with bogus

products out there as a cancer treatment. Please- even with this article being

true- don't discount the effects of anti-parasitic herbal medicines on cancers.

Artemisinin, from wormwood, has been made the worldwide treatment for Malaria-

deemed the best treatment by the WHO. I am sure, in the future, with cross-over

studies, wormwood will be seen to be very effective on Malaria patients with

cancers. It still has to be used with Tincture of Black walnut and cloves to

kill all three stages of the parasite, but will be somewhat effective when used

alone. I wish I could back this up with a proper study but am unable to go it

alone. Bill